Caulk Wood Plank Siding Before Painting

Is the old caulking removed before new coats are applied.

Caulk wood plank siding before painting.

Under normal circumstances you can apply caulk before priming. The nails holding up the siding should not be caulked. For regular hardiplank lap siding the kind you paint after installation caulking at butt joints is optional. Caulk should dry before painting over it otherwise it can cause new paint to crack and warp.

This allows for the caulk to get in and fill the gap correctly. There are several different types of caulking on the market. Caulk and seal all cracks in the siding as well as any open seams joints or gaps with a quality acrylic or siliconized acrylic caulk. A high quality paintable caulk is recommended.

When exterior caulking becomes defective it allows moisture and rain to seep between siding boards behind the trim and eventually reach the drywall of the interior. However if you re working on certain surfaces the caulk will not stick without a primer base coat. For best results use caulks that comply with either astm. This from installation instructions.

Unfortunately it will not stick well to stained surfaces. Basically any crack on the exterior of the house should be filled. Caulk adheres very well to clean bare wood and vinyl. Unlike similar sounding silicone caulks siliconized acrylic caulks can be painted so they enhance the finished appearance of the paint job.

Don t caulk the horizontal joints on siding where the siding courses overlap. Scrape away any peeling paint adjacent to the caulked areas. Sometimes the old caulk in the siding joint is cracked and you need to cut the old caulk out with a razor knife. If the siding joint is so tight that the caulk only bridges the gap it may split again.

This can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars to eradicate. Old caulking that has failed and allowed water to migrate behind the siding can cause wood rot decay and if left undetected mold will most likely grow in your walls. Joe i think your image is specifically for colorplus where they don t recommend caulking. Similar to paint previous coats of.

For caulk that will be painted over a latex caulk should be used. If doing so exposes bare wood recaulk all cracks between any two nonmoving materials. The different kinds of caulking for your home. This is the beginning of rotting wood water stains mold and mildew and possible flooring damage.